Are these the best integrated campaigns of 2013?

At Flock Associates we are never ones to miss an opportunity to dig out examples of great integrated marketing, so we figured we would jump on the ‘end of the year ‘ bandwagon and gather our favourite campaigns from 2013. And as you have probably heard a fair bit from us this year already, we have called in a few friends to help us too.

Below are some of the campaigns that we thought made it to the summit of the integrated marketing mountain… and if you are wondering, we did not let people pick their own work.

‘I know it is obvious… but a ten per cent lift in sales cannot be argued with. Also any campaign that can get over seven million views on YouTube for a TV ad and then sell campaign-related merchandise is a pretty good example of an integrated campaign. Plus it does what every good Christmas campaign does, gives children a bear den that they can visit and gives you that festive glow.’

‘We have become conditioned to expect hard-hitting, graphic public safety campaigns, that shock us into behaviour change. Dumb Ways to Die worked differently; using humour, charm and wit to disarm us. Its strength lies in its simplicity and single-mindedness. It stretched across online, radio and print ads, and even into gaming. No other campaign this year has struck such a chord with the general public – something that its 80 million YouTube views can attest to.’

Shilen Patel- co-founder – Independents United
Coca-Cola: Share a Coke
‘I especially like the way this integrated campaign was executed in Australia.’

Took the world’s biggest brand and instantly made it more personal than it had ever been before

But did this in a truly integrated, interactive and responsive manner, thus reconnecting with its whole audience

Brilliantly planned with full integration across all platforms all the way from packaging through digital, in-store and experiential all the way to ATL

Allowed Coke to achieve the almost impossible for a brand of its size: people were taking photos of bus adverts and sharing them far and wide, just because their (or their friend’s) name was on it

Also a truly meaningful global campaign that was fully integrated locally and then across the globe from straight-forward digital work to some markets developing cans you can split apart and physically share’

So what did we at Flock think was the best of the year?

Looking back, it has been a good year with some great examples of effective, integrated marketing: Red Bull Stratos – out of space jump which made headlines, on the intergalactic theme – Lynx Apollo and their competition to go into space, Daft Punk and the marketing of ‘Get lucky’, Halfords and Boden with some fantastic direct marketing campaigns.

But after much heated discussion the Flock Favourite of 2013 is…

Dove – Real Beauty Sketches.

We loved this, it is so in keeping with the brand values and essence, it actually helps move the brand closer to its stated vision and it uncovers a new interesting insight that can actually make a difference to women’s perception of themselves… And with over 60 million YouTube views, a whole host of spoofs (that also delivered millions of views on YouTube), endless international press coverage all managed on a minimal budget, it is a fantastic example of an integrated, intelligent, brand enhancing campaign.